I never plug other people’s stuff unless I believe it 100%. Well I believe in Gary Vaynerchuk and his book 200%. Yesterday, in NYC, I got a chance to meet the man himself when he personally signed my copy. If you don’t yet know about Gary or his book, Google it.

“CEO of the decade” and marketing genius Steve Jobs uses neither Twitter or Facebook as part of Apple’s marketing. So, what does that say about Social Media and the need to make it a key part of a marketing plan?

My analogy…

During the Gold Rush, the guy who got really rich with an explosive business was not a prospector. He was the guy who made the pants for the prospectors — Levi Strauss. Steve Jobs is today’s Levi Strauss.

The modern day Levi Strauss.

Listen to John Follis and other top marketing thought leaders discuss the most relevant topics of the day. http://themarketingshow.net

I recall some study saying that “genius” and “madness” are linked. I submit that Mel Gibson supports that claim. (Brian Wilson, Van Gogh and Phil Spector are other good examples.) The takeaway I get from all these celeb cases is that fame, and fortune, and celebrity, come with a price. And, if one is careless, a respected personal brand based on a lifetime of painstaking work and exceptional achievement can come crashing down in a matter of hours.

Can anything repair his personal brand?

(For best viewing, click on full screen option.)

Go to: Follis Marketing Therapy

From your prospects’ POV, Perception is Reality. Your prospects’ perception of you (company, product, or service) is what they’ll be basing their buying decision on — regardless of the truth. Therefore, it’s critical to make sure that every prospect touch-point clearly and convincingly convey the right brand message and product benefit. That involves your branding (company/product name, logo, tagline, design and tone), online presence (website, blog, videos, articles, G-cred), off-line presentations, and all your marketing and advertising initiatives.